Antenna control

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, method and system for transmission are described herein. For example, apparatus can include a synthesis engine, a power supply and a multiple input single output (MISO) operator. The synthesis engine is configured to generate amplitude control signals, phase control signals and power supply control signals based on command and control information. The power supply is configured to receive the power supply control signals and to generate a power supply signal. Further, the MISO operator is configured to generate an output signal with an amplitude or a phase controlled by at least one of the amplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the power supply signal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/487,956 (Atty. Docket No. 1744.2350001), filed Jun. 4, 2012, titled“Antenna Control,” now allowed, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/492,576 (Atty. Docket No.1744.2350000), filed Jun. 2, 2011, titled “Transmit AntennaMulti-Element Control,” which are both incorporated herein by referencein its entireties.

The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/256,172, filed Oct. 24, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,184,723 (Atty.Docket No. 1744.1900006); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/508,989,filed Aug. 24, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,355,470 (Atty. Docket No.1744.2160001); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/236,079, filed Sep.23, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,911,272 (Atty. Docket No. 1744.2260000);U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/590,955, filed Jul. 25, 2006, nowU.S. Pat. No. 7,082,171 (Atty. Docket No. 1744.071005); U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/014,461, filed Jan. 15, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No.7,554,508 (Atty. Docket No. 1744.0710007); and, U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/442,706 (Atty. Docket No. 1744.2360001), filed Apr. 9, 2012,titled “Systems and Methods of RF Power Transmission, Modulation, andAmplification,” all of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to electronicallyconfigurable and controllable antenna elements. More particularly,embodiments of the present invention relate to the control andconfiguration of amplitude and/or phase parameters of individual antennaelements such as, for example and without limitation, antenna elementsof multi-element antenna arrays, multi-element electronically steerableantennas (MESAs), and the combination of MESAs with multiple-inputmultiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology.

2. Background

Generally, antennas can be classified into three categories:omni-directional, semi-directional, and highly-directional antennas.These three general antenna categories have different electromagneticsignal directional and gain characteristics (often referred to as“directivity”). Antenna directivity can be defined as the ratio ofradiation intensity in the direction of the antenna's peak intensity orthe desired direction of operation to the average radiation intensity inall other directions (e.g., total integrated power in all directionscaptured by the denominator of the ratio which includes the direction ofinterest). In addition to directivity, antennas are characterized by aradiation pattern, which can be either a two-dimensional orthree-dimensional graphical plot of the antenna's signal intensityversus a reference angle.

Omni-directional antennas can have a broad radiation pattern andtransmit and receive electromagnetic signals nearly uniformly in alldirections. Examples of omni-directional antennas include dipoles,discones, masks, and loops. Semi-directional antennas are capable offocusing desired energy and signals in a desired direction. Examples ofsemi-directional antennas include patch antennas, panel antennas (bothpatch and panel antennas are also referred to as “planar antennas”), andYagi antennas (e.g., a directional antenna having a horizontal conductorwith several insulated dipoles parallel to and in the plane of theconductor).

Semi-directional antennas offer improved gain over omni-directionalantennas in the desired direction of operation while reducing the gainof and/or potential interference from signals in other directions. Asnoted above, these characteristics of semi-directional antennas arereferred to as directivity. Highly-directional antennas provide asmaller angle of radiation in the desired direction of operation, a morefocused beam, and a narrower beam width compared to the above-describedgeneral antenna types. Examples of highly-directional antennas includeparabolic dish, fixed arrays, and grid antennas (a grid antennaresembles, for example, a rectangular grill of a barbecue with edgesslightly curved inward. The spacing of the wires on a grid antenna isdetermined by the designed operational wavelength of the antenna.).

All three of the above-described general antenna types (i.e.,omni-directional, semi-directional, and highly-directional antennas) canalso be classified as fixed antenna designs. A fixed antenna design isone that has a fixed gain, a fixed radiation pattern (e.g., fixeddirectionality), and a fixed direction of operation. An example of afixed, highly-directional antenna is the parabolic dish antenna, whichis commonly used in satellite communications. The parabolic dish antennaincludes a reflector that is sized to produce the desired antenna gainand beam width for a specific radiation pattern and can be oriented inthe desired direction of operation.

While particularly suitable for fixed gain, fixed location, fixeddistance, and fixed direction communication systems, fixed antennadesigns are not particularly suitable for applications requiringvariable direction and/or variable gain. For example, the gain andradiation pattern of a parabolic dish antenna are fixed based on thesize and design of the dish's reflector, and the direction of operationcan only be changed by changing the dish's physical orientation. Thesedisadvantages and limitations of static parabolic dish antennas apply tomost fixed antenna designs.

An antenna design that offers advantages over the aforementionedlimitations of fixed antenna designs is a multi-element electronicallysteerable antenna (MESA). This type of antenna can be utilized either ina fixed location or in a portable (or mobile) environment. A single MESAcan be designed to produce omni-directional, semi-directional, andhighly-directional antenna radiation patterns or directivity. Thedirectivity and gain of the MESA are determined by the number of antennaarray elements and the ability to determine and control the relativephase shifts and/or amplitudes between antenna array elements.

A MESA can electronically change its gain and radiation pattern (e.g.,directivity), as well as its direction of operation, by varying therelative phase shift and/or amplitude of its antenna array elements.Furthermore, a MESA does not require any mechanical components, such asa motor or a servometer, to charge its direction of operation, its gain,or its radiation pattern. This allows both its size and weight to bereduced, making the MESA an ideal candidate for portable (or mobile)communication systems. Additionally, because the MESA operationalparameters can be modified electronically, the direction of operation ofthe MESA can be changed more rapidly than a fixed antenna design, makingthe MESA a good antenna technology to locate, acquire, and track fastmoving signals.

Conventional MESA arrays use variable phase shifters (e.g., time delayphase shifters, vector modulators, and digital phase shifters) tocontrol directivity. The input dynamic range and resolution of suchphase shifters, however, is limited, which limits the accuracy at whicha determined configuration of relative phase shifts can be set. In turn,this limits the accuracy of the resulting beam steering angle of theantenna array and the suitability of the antenna array for certainapplications (e.g., high mobility applications). Increasing the numberof antenna elements of the array typically allows greater accuracy ofbeam steering angle but comes with an increased footprint and cost.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an antenna design is needed for variable directivity andvariable gain, while minimizing the footprint, cost, and powerconsumption associated with the antenna design. Embodiments of thepresent invention generally relate to electronically configurable andcontrollable antenna elements.

An embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus fortransmitting an output signal. The apparatus can include a synthesisengine, a power supply and a multiple input single output (MISO)operator. The synthesis engine is configured to generate amplitudecontrol signals, phase control signals and power supply control signalsbased on command and control information. The power supply is configuredto receive the power supply control signals and to generate a powersupply signal. Further, the MISO operator is configured to generate theoutput signal with an amplitude or a phase controlled by at least one ofthe amplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the powersupply signal.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method fortransmission. The method includes the following: generating amplitudecontrol signals, phase control signals and power supply control signalsbased on command and control information; receiving the power supplycontrol signals to generate a power supply signal; and generating, witha multiple input single output (MISO) operator, an output signal with anamplitude or a phase controlled by at least one of the amplitude controlsignals, the phase control signals and the power supply signal.

A further embodiment of the present invention includes a system fortransmission. The system includes an energy converter, a localoscillator and an antenna. The energy converter can include a synthesisengine, a power supply and a multiple input single output (MISO)operator. The synthesis engine is configured to generate amplitudecontrol signals, phase control signals and power supply control signalsbased on command and control information. The power supply is configuredto receive the power supply control signals and to generate a powersupply signal. Further, the MISO operator is configured to generate theoutput signal with an amplitude or a phase controlled by at least one ofthe amplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the powersupply signal. The local oscillator is configured to provide a referencesignal to the energy converter. Further, the antenna is configured totransmit the output signal.

Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the present invention,as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments of thepresent invention, are described in detail below with reference to theaccompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited tothe specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments arepresented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodimentswill be apparent to a person skilled the relevant art based on theteachings contained herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present inventionand, together with the description, further serve to explain theprinciples of the invention and to enable a person skilled in therelevant art to make and use the invention.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a two-element antenna array beam steeringexample.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a six-element antenna array beam steeringexample.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate exemplary beams of a 20-element antenna array fordifferent main beam steering angle values.

FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional multi-element transmit antenna array.

FIG. 5 illustrates an energy converter based multi-element antennaarray, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example energy converter based RP transmitter.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example multiple input multiple output (MIMO)antenna configuration.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example wireless device having an energy converterbased multi-element transmit antenna array and an energy sampling basedmulti-element receive antenna array, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example implementation of a calibration feature ofan energy converter based multi-element transmit antenna array,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a process flowchart of a method for calibrating transmitantenna elements in a multi-element transmit antenna array, according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate example configurations of a multi-elementelectronically steerable antenna (MESA), according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example mobile device communication system inwhich embodiments of the present invention can be implemented.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings. Generally, the drawing in which an elementfirst appears is typically indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in thecorresponding reference number.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 1. Energy Converter

The term “energy converter” is used throughout the specification. In anembodiment, an energy converter is an apparatus configured to convertenergy from a potential energy (e.g., AC or DC power source) to a radiofrequency (RF) signal by controlling a dynamic impedance at atrans-impedance node, thus resulting in a variable dynamic loadline.Examples of energy converters are described in the U.S. patentscross-referenced above, which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entireties. For example, as described in at least one of the U.S.patents cross-referenced above, an energy converter based transmitterenables highly linear and efficient generation of desired waveforms overa wide range of output power. This highly linear and efficient energyconverter is aided by amplitude and/or phase control mechanisms whichcan be applied at various stages of an energy converter basedtransmitter. For example, amplitude and/or phase control can begenerated by digital control circuitry (in some embodiments, alsoreferred to herein as a “Vector Synthesis Engine” (VSE)) and applied tomultiple input multiple output (MISO) operator circuitry of the energyconverter based transmitter. Amplitude and/or phase control signals mayin turn be aided by various circuit and system characterization, circuitand/or system calibration and/or feedback (e.g., measurement andcorrection) mechanisms to ensure high amplitude/phase accuracy at theoutput of the energy converter.

In an embodiment, the MISO operator may be configured to control theimpedance between a potential energy source and RF output circuitry tocreate a desired RF signal at a desired output power. In an embodiment,the multiple control inputs to the MISO operator may be control pathspartitioned to control upper branch and lower branch circuitry.Alternatively, the multiple inputs to the MISO operator may control asingle branch with multiple control paths. The control paths that serveas inputs to the MISO operator may be directly or indirectly utilized bythe MISO operator to control a complex impedance of a trans-impedancenode. Each baseband information input sample to the MISO operator mayhave a corresponding complex impedance value at the trans-impedancenode, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The MISOoperator and corresponding MISO circuitry may be considered as applyinga mathematical “function” or “operation” such that the impedance at thetransimpedance node can be varied based on the amplitude and phasecontrol signals (e.g., inputs to the MISO operator).

In an embodiment, an energy converter can convert electrical energy ofone type to electrical energy of another type. The statistics of aninput potential energy to the energy converter can be different from thestatistics of output energy from the energy converter, according to anembodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, multiple forms ofelectrical energy (e.g., AC or DC energy) can be consumed at the inputof the energy converter and modulated to produce a desired modulated RFcarrier at the output of the energy converter.

The above description of “energy converter” contrasts characteristics ofa traditional amplifier. For example, as would be understood by a personskilled in the relevant art, a traditional amplifier is not designed toaccept an input that possesses an arbitrary statistic with respect to anoutput of the amplifier. Rather, traditional amplifiers are typicallydesigned to reproduce the essential statistic of the input—includingvoltage, current, and frequency—at its output with additional powerincrease due to a power supply of the amplifier that is consumed duringthe amplification process.

Further, for traditional amplifier designs, the input to the amplifiermust possess a carrier frequency consistent with the output of theamplifier and the cross-correlation of the input and output should be asclose to 1 as possible or meet minimum output waveform requirements ofthe amplifier. For example, a traditional amplifier requires a modulatedRF carrier signal to be coupled to its input and an amplified version ofthe input modulated RF carrier signal at the output. This requirement isin addition to accounting for noise and non-linearities in the amplifierdesign.

2. Beam Steering in a Multi-Element Antenna Array

In this section, beam steering in a multi-element antenna array isdescribed. As an example, FIGS. 1A and 1B conceptually illustrate beamsteering in an example two-element antenna array 100. Antenna array 100may be a transmit or receive antenna. As shown in FIG. 1A, antenna array100 includes first and second variable phase shifters 102 and 104 thatrespectively control the phases of the first and second antenna elements(not shown in FIG. 1A) of antenna array 100.

The main beam steering angle (measured relative to a reference Y-axis)of antenna array 100 (which determines the direction of operation of theantenna) is a function of the relative phase shift (which will bedenoted as “ΔΦ” herein) between the first and second antenna elements.In FIG. 1A, the main beam steering angle is denoted by the symbol“Φ_(S).”

It can be shown that the main beam steering angle of antenna array 100and the relative phase shift between the first and second antennaelements of antenna array 100 are related by the following equation:

$\begin{matrix}{\frac{360}{\Delta\Phi} = \frac{\lambda}{x}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

where x is the distance labeled “x” in FIG. 1A, and λ is the wavelengthof the transmitted/received beam.

From FIG. 1A, the distance between the first and second antenna elementsof antenna array 100 (denoted as “d” in FIG. 1A) is related to “x”according to:

x=d*sin(Φ_(S)).  (2)

Thus, by substitution, the relative phase shift between the first andsecond antenna elements of antenna array 100 can be written as afunction of the main beam steering angle of the array as:

$\begin{matrix}{{\Delta\Phi} = {\frac{360*d*{\sin ( \Phi_{s} )}}{\lambda}.}} & (3)\end{matrix}$

As a numerical example, assume that the RF output frequency of antennaarray 100 is 3 GHz (which corresponds to a wavelength (λ)=9.993 cm),that the distance between the first and second antenna elements (d) is2.5 cm, and that the desired beam steering angle (Φ_(S)) is 45 degrees.Substituting these numerical values into equation (3) above results in arelative phase shift between the first and second antenna elements (ΔΦ)of approximately 63.684 degrees. An antenna array beam 106 that resultsfrom this example is illustrated in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2A conceptually illustrates beam steering in an example six-elementantenna array 200. FIG. 2B illustrates an example beam 210 produced byantenna array 200 for a beam steering angle (Φ_(S)) of 45 degrees. Likeexample two-element antenna array 100, the beam steering angle (Φ_(S))of antenna array 200 is a function of the relative phase shifts betweensuccessive antenna elements of the array.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate example beam patterns of a 20-element antennaarray for different main beam steering angle values. Specifically, FIGS.3A, 3B, and 3C respectively show example antenna array beam patterns300A, 300B, and 300C produced using the 20-element antenna array forbeam steering angles (Φ_(S)) of 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees,respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the directivity of the 20-elementantenna array (e.g., gain in the desired direction and/or attenuation ofpotential interference from signals in other directions) is at a maximumat the selected beam steering angle (Φ_(S)).

3. Conventional Multi-Element Antenna Array

FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional multi-element transmit antenna array400. As shown in FIG. 4, conventional multi-element array 400 includes aplurality (N) of signal paths, each including a transmitter 402 ₁-402_(N), a power amplifier (PA) 404 ₁-404 _(N), a variable phase shifter406 ₁-406 _(N), and an antenna element 408 ₁-408 _(N). Transmit (TX)information 410 is input simultaneously into each of the plurality ofsignal paths via its respective transmitter 402 ₁-402 _(N). Transmitter402 may be any known conventional transmitter. Transmitters 402 ₁-402_(N) modulate and/or frequency up-convert, for example, input TXinformation 410 using a reference signal 416 from a local oscillator(LO) 414. The outputs of transmitters 402 ₁-402 _(N) are power amplifiedby PA 404 ₁-404 _(N), respectively, and then respectively acted upon byvariable phase shifters 406 ₁-406 _(N). In particular, each variablephase shifter 406 ₁-406 _(N) applies a respective phase shift to arespective PA output based on a respective phase shift control signal412 ₁-412 _(N).

To achieve a desired beam steering angle via multi-element antenna array400, the relative phase shifts between successive antenna elements 408₁-408 _(N) must be set appropriately. This includes determining aconfiguration of relative phase shifts between successive antennaelements 408 ₁-408 _(N), which results in the desired beam steeringangle and controlling variable phase shifters 406 ₁-406 _(N) for eachsignal path, as necessary, to achieve the determined configuration.

Conventional multi-element antenna arrays, including conventional MESAarrays, implement variable phase shifters 406 ₁-406 _(N) using timedelay phase shifters, vector modulators, and digital phase shifters, forexample. The dynamic range and resolution of such phase shifters,however, is limited, which limits the accuracy at which a determinedconfiguration of relative phase shifts can be set. In turn, this limitsthe accuracy of the resulting beam steering angle of the antenna arrayand the suitability of the antenna array for certain applications (e.g.,high mobility applications). Increasing the number of antenna elementsof the array typically allows greater accuracy of beam steering anglebut comes with an increased footprint, cost, and power consumption.

4. Energy Converter Based Multi-Element Antenna Array

Embodiments of the present invention provide an energy converter basedmulti-element antenna array, which will be described below. In anembodiment, the multi-element antenna array is electronically steerable.

FIG. 5 illustrates an energy converter based multi-element antenna array500, according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 5, energy converter based multi-element transmit antenna array 500includes a plurality (N) of signal paths, each including an energyconverter based transmitter 502 ₁-502 _(N) and an antenna element 504₁-504 _(N). Energy converter based transmitter 502 ₁-502 _(N) in eachpath is provided a reference signal 416 from LO 414 as well as transmit(TX) information, antenna element phase control information, and outputpower control information, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. In an embodiment, the TX information, antenna element phasecontrol information, and the output power control information areprovided to each energy converter based transmitter 502 ₁-502 _(N) fromdigital circuitry and/or mixed-signal circuitry that may include, forexample, a microprocessor, FPGA, digital signal processor, statemachine, or a combination thereof (not shown in FIG. 5).

Accordingly, energy converter based multi-element antenna arrayembodiments replace, in each signal path, the conventional transmitter,power amplifier, and variable phase shifter (e.g., as used inconventional multi-element transmit antenna array 400 of FIG. 4) with asingle energy converter based transmitter. Advantages of an energyconverter based multi-element antenna include, among others, significantsavings in terms of size, reduction in power consumption, the ability totransmit multiple RF signals, waveforms, and wireless standards with thesame energy converter based transmitter circuitry, and enhanced phaseand amplitude accuracy for each antenna element.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention leverage variouslevels of amplitude and/or phase control mechanisms of the energyconverter based transmitter to enable both highly-controllable andhighly-accurate beam steering in the multi-element antenna array.Indeed, as described above, amplitude and/or phase in an energyconverter based transmitter can be controlled at any given time usingone or more of multiple stages of the energy converter basedtransmitter, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example energy converter based transmitterimplementation 600, according to an embodiment of the present invention.Embodiments based on example implementation 600 can be used in an energyconverter based multi-element antenna array, such as multi-elementantenna array 500 of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, energy converter basedtransmitter implementation 600 includes a Vector Synthesis Engine (VSE)circuitry 602, a Interpolation/Anti-Alias Filter circuitry 608, amultiple input single output (MISO) operator 620, and a DigitallyControlled Power Supply (DCPS) circuitry 616.

VSE circuitry 602 receives command and control information via a commandand control interface 506. In an embodiment, the command and controlinformation is provided by digital and/or mixed-signal circuitry thatmay include, for example, a microprocessor, FPGA, state machine, or acombination thereof (not shown in FIG. 6) and includes transmit (TX)information, antenna element phase control information, and output powercontrol information. In addition, VSE circuitry 602 receives I and Qinformation over a data interface, from a baseband processor, forexample.

VSE circuitry 602 uses the received I and Q information, element phase,and element power control information to generate amplitude controlsignals 610, phase control signals 612 (which are filtered byInterpolation/Anti-Alias Filter circuitry 608) and DCPS control signals606. VSE circuitry 602 and Interpolation/Anti-Alias Filter circuitry 608provide amplitude control signals 610 and phase control signals 612 toMISO operator 620, and VSE circuitry provides DCPS control signals 606to DCPS circuitry 616 to generate the desired RF output waveform at thedesired amplitude and phase.

Each of amplitude control signals 610, phase control signals 612, filtersignal and control interface signals 604, and DCPS control signals 606can be used, alone or in various combinations, to control the amplitudeand/or phase of the output signal of MISO operator 620. In particular,amplitude control signals 610 and phase control signals 612 control theoutput of MISO operator 620 by controlling various stages of MISOoperator 620. Similarly, filter signal and control interface 604 andDCPS control signals 606 control the amplitude and/or phase of theoutput signal of MISO operator 620 by, respectively, altering theresponse of Interpolation/Anti-Alias Filter circuitry 608 andcontrolling the amount of power provided to MISO operator and outputstorage networks 620.

Further detailed implementations of the energy converter basedtransmitter are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/256,172, filed Oct. 24, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,184,723 (Atty.Docket No. 1744.1900006), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/508,989,filed Aug. 24, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,355,470 (Atty. Docket No.1744.2160001), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/236,079, filedSep. 23, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,911,272 (Atty. Docket No.1744.2260000), all of which are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties. As detailed in these U.S. patents, amplitude and/orphase control in the energy converter based transmitter can be appliedat any given time using at least one of VSE circuitry 602 (also known asthe digital control or transfer function module),Interpolation/Anti-Alias Filter circuitry 608, MISO operator 620(including the vector modulation and output stage), and DCPS circuitry616 of the energy converter based transmitter. The accuracy of amplitudeand/or phase control may further be aided by various circuit and systemcharacterization, circuit and/or system calibration, and/or feed-forward(e.g., pre-compensation) and/or feedback (e.g., measurement andcorrection) mechanisms, as described in the above-mentioned U.S.patents.

Together, the various levels of amplitude and/or phase controlmechanisms of an energy converter based transmitter can be used,according to embodiments of the present invention, to enable variousresolution levels (e.g., accuracy levels) to set the amplitude and/orphase of the energy converter based transmitter. In tarn, when theenergy converter based transmitter is used in an energy converter basedmulti-element antenna array, various beam steering (e.g., directivity)accuracy levels can be enabled. For example, depending on the desiredbeam steering accuracy, one or more of the amplitude/phase controlmechanisms in one or more (or in each) energy converter basedtransmitter of the multi-element antenna array can be used. In addition,by combining multiple control mechanisms, each with a respective controldynamic range, the resulting beam steering accuracy levels includehigher accuracy with greater repeatability levels than allowed by usingconventional variable phase shifters.

5. MESA-Based Multiple-Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Antenna

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna operation is oftenreferred to as “spatial multiplexing.” Spatial multiplexing refers to atechnique that separates one or more high data rate signals intomultiple (and sometimes lower) data rate signals, which are thentransmitted over different transmit antennas on the same frequency orchannel. If the transmit antennas have reasonably different spatialsignatures (e.g., the antennas have different polarizations or exist indifferent planes), a receiver with the same number of receive antennascan process the multiple data rate signals as parallel channels. Assuch, spatial multiplexing can greatly increase channel capacity. MIMOoperation requires at least two antennas but can employ as many antennasas practice allows can be spatially separated.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example MIMO communication system 700. As shown inFIG. 7, example MIMO communication system 700 includes a MIMO transmitantenna 702 having three transmit (TX) antennas A, B, and C, and a MIMOreceive antenna 704 having three receive (RX) antennas A, B, and C. TXantennas A, B, and C have orthogonal polarizations relative to oneanother (e.g., X-Polarization, Y-Polarization, and Z-Polarization). RXantennas A, B, and C also have orthogonal polarizations relative to oneanother (e.g., X-Polarization, Y-Polarization, and Z-polarization). Inaddition, TX antennas A, B, and C and RX antennas A, B, and C areconfigured so as to have matching polarizations (e.g., TX antenna A andRX antenna A both have X-polarization).

As a result of the above described MIMO antenna configuration, desiredspatial signal paths can be created between MIMO transmit antenna 702and MIMO receive antenna 704. For example, three spatially independentsignal paths 706A, 706B, and 706C can be created as shown in FIG. 7. Thespatially independent signal paths 706A, 706B, and 706C allow formultiple simultaneous transmissions to occur between MIMO transmitantenna 702 and MIMO receive antenna 704.

As described above, embodiments of the present invention enable amulti-element electronically steerable antenna (MESA) array. The MESAarray can be controlled electronically to change its gain, radiationpattern, and/or direction of operation by varying the relative phaseshifts and/or amplitudes of the antenna elements of the array. In anembodiment, the MESA array includes at least two antenna elements.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the MESA array canfurther be used in a MIMO communication system. As such, in anembodiment, each TX antenna of a MIMO transmit antenna is implemented asone or more MESAs. As a result, each TX antenna can be electronicallyconfigured or re-configured for increased and/or optimum performance,according to (or changes in) the environment. For example, the beamwidth and/or direction of each TX antenna can be electronically changedbased on feedback from the MIMO receiver. This can be done, for example,in order to achieve a desired spatial multiplexing, increase the numberof MIMO spatial paths, improve the signal to noise ratio of MIMO signalsat the receiver, and/or increase spatial isolation between the MIMOspatial paths (e.g., to increase the information data rate or compensatefor channel interference).

Thus, embodiments of the present invention enable a MESA-based MIMOtransmit antenna configurable to optimize spatial multiplexing systemparameters, as desired. Further, according to embodiments of the presentinvention, a single MESA array can be configured to operate as a MIMOtransmit/receive antenna. For example, in an embodiment, the individualelements of a MESA array can be individually configured so as to createtherefrom multiple antennas, in which the multiple antennas areconfigured to form a MINIO antenna.

6. Example Implementations

Example implementations according to embodiments of the presentinvention will now be provided. These example implementations areprovided for the purpose of illustration only, and thus are notlimiting. As further described, these example implementations use anenergy converter based transmitter and/or an energy sampling basedreceiver in their designs to enable a RF power transceiver engine forhighly accurate, highly efficient multimode wireless applications.Examples of energy converter based transmitters and energy samplingreceivers are described the U.S. patents cross-references above, whichare incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. For example,as described in at least one of the U.S. patents cross-referenced above,the energy sampling receiver provides an efficient and highly linearsolution for demodulating RF waveforms. An energy sampling basedreceiver provides high sensitivity, high dynamic range, wideinstantaneous bandwidth, and a broad tuning range in a compactimplementation.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example wireless device 800 having an energyconverter based multi-element transmit antenna array and an energysampling based multi-element receive antenna array. Wireless device 800can support communication in the IEEE L-band (1 to 2 GHz), for example.As shown in FIG. 8, wireless device 800 includes a baseband processor802, a multi-path transmit section 804, a multi-path receive section806, a microprocessor or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) processor808, transmit and receive local oscillators (LOs) 810 and 812,respectively, and a phase and amplitude alignment/calibration receiverpath 814.

Baseband processor 802 provides transmit (TX) information to transmitsection 804, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The TXinformation may be in the form of real time in-phase (I) and quadrature(Q) TX waveform data. Additionally, in an embodiment, baseband processor802 receives receive (RX) information from receive section 806. The RXinformation may be in the form of real time I and Q waveform data.Additionally, baseband processor 802 may embody the control circuitry,software and/or firmware, and interface(s) found in microprocessor ofFPGA processor 808.

Transmit section 804 includes one or more TX signal paths (four in theexample of FIG. 8), each including an energy converter based transmitterand an optional TX antenna element. Transmit section 804 receives TXwaveform data from baseband processor 802. In an embodiment, transmitsection 804 includes a TX waveform memory, which is used for testingpurposes. The TX waveform memory can be used to load a desired testwaveform and to test the performance of wireless device 800 for thedesired test waveform. In an embodiment, the TX waveform memory can beused to test waveforms that are not supported by baseband processor 802.The TX waveform data is provided to the VSE module of each TX signalpath, according to an embodiment of the present invention. At the sametime, transmit section 804 receives command and control information viaa TX SPI (System Packet Interface) bus from microprocessor/FPGAprocessor 808. TX local oscillator (LO) 810 provides a transmit LOsignal to the MISO operator of each TX signal path.

Receive section 806 includes one or more RX signal paths (four in theexample of FIG. 8), each including a RX antenna element, a RX front endmodule, an Interpolation/Anti-Alias Filter stage, and a RX controller.The RX front end module includes an energy sampling based receiver.Receive section 806 provides RX waveform data to baseband processor 802.Like transmit section 804, receive section 806 receives command andcontrol information via a RX SPI bus from microprocessor/FPGA processor808. RX local oscillator (LO) 812 provides a receive LO to the RX frontend module of each RX signal path.

Microprocessor/FPGA processor 808 is programmable via a user computerinterface 816, for example, in order to control TX and/or RX sections804 and 806, respectively, of wireless device 800. According toembodiments of the present invention, microprocessor/FPGA processor 808can be used to setup, control, calibrate, and test the antenna elements.Microprocessor/FPGA processor 808 may support a graphical userinterface, which can be used to download and upload test waveforms andto control individual antenna elements.

Furthermore, microprocessor/FPGA processor 808 receives feedbackinformation from phase and amplitude alignment/calibration receive path814. In an embodiment, the received feedback information includesinformation regarding phase alignment and the amplitude or power outputof the TX antenna elements.

Phase and amplitude alignment/calibration receive path 814 is used tocalibrate the TX antenna elements (e.g., to ensure that the TX antennaelements are operating at a desired phase and power output). In anembodiment, phase and amplitude alignment/calibration receive path 814includes an antenna (or antenna coupler) 818 and calibration receivercircuitry. The calibration receiver circuitry includes an RF amplifier820, a frequency down-converter 822, a baseband amplifier 824,interpolation/anti-alias filters 826, and an analog-to-digital (ADC)converter 828. In an embodiment, gain control signal provided bymicroprocessor/FPGA processor 808 controls the gain of RF amplifier 820.

According to embodiments of the present invention, phase and amplitudealignment/calibration receiver path 814 may include more or lesscomponents than shown in FIG. 8. For example, as would be understood bya person of skilled in the relevant art based on the teachings herein,the calibration receiver circuitry may be implemented in different waysthan shown in FIG. 8. These different implementations of the calibrationreceiver circuitry are within the spirit and scope of the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example implementation 900 of a phase calibrationreceive path according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, the phase and amplitude calibration receive pathincludes a calibration receiver antenna (or antenna coupler) 908,calibration receiver circuitry 910, and a calibration controller 912. Inan embodiment, the calibration receive path serves to calibrate anenergy converter based multi-element transmit antenna array. Themulti-element transmit antenna array includes a plurality of signalpaths, each including a VSE 902 ₁-902 ₄, a MISO operator 904 ₁-904 ₄,and a TX antenna element 906 ₁-906 ₄.

A TX LO 914 provides a local oscillator (LO) signal to each MISOoperator 904 ₁-904 ₄ as well as to calibration receiver circuitry 910.As a result, a DC signal is generated when a signal transmitted by TXantenna element 906 ₁-906 ₄ is received and down-converted bycalibration receiver circuitry 910 using the provided LO signal. When TXantennas 906 ₁-906 ₄ are substantially equidistant to calibrationreceiver antenna 908, a substantially equal DC signal value is generatedfor all TX antennas 906 ₁-906 ₄ when TX antennas 906 ₁-906 ₄ are phasecalibrated. In other words, TX antennas 906 ₁-906 ₄ can be phasecalibrated by ensuring that the substantially same DC signal value(e.g., a pre-determined value) is generated for all TX antennas (in thecase that TX antennas 906 ₁-906 ₄ are substantially equidistant tocalibration receiver antenna 908 and the same signal is transmitted byTX antennas 906 ₁-906 ₄). In addition to phase calibration, calibrationcontroller 912 and calibration receiver circuitry 910 can be used tocalibrate the amplitude or power output of each antenna element.

As would be understood by a person skilled in the relevant art, when TXantennas 906 ₁-906 ₄ are not substantially equidistant to calibrationreceiver antenna 908, different DC signal values may result for TXantennas 906 ₁-906 ₄. In an embodiment, the generated DC signal valuefor each TX antenna 906 ₁-906 ₄ is normalized using a respectivenormalization factor (e.g., determined for each TX antenna 906 ₁-906 ₄based on its relative location to calibration receiver antenna 908), andthe normalized DC signal values are then used to calibrate TX antennas906 ₁-906 ₄ (e.g., the normalized DC signal values are fixed to the samepre-determined value). Alternatively, in an embodiment, the generated DCsignal values are compared against different respective pre-determinedDC signal values, where each pre-determined DC signal value is computeda priori for a respective TX antenna 906 ₁-960 ₄ using testing andexperimentation. This technique can be used to calibrate both amplitudeor power output and phase of each antenna element.

An example of the operation of the phase and amplitude calibrationreceive path of FIG. 9 is described with reference to FIG. 10, whichillustrates a process flowchart 1000 of a method for calibratingtransmit antenna elements in a multi-element transmit antenna array,according to an embodiment of the present invention. Process 1000 isperformed with respect to one antenna element at a time—i.e., theantenna element being calibrated.

Process 1000 begins in step 1002, which includes setting the phase of anantenna element being calibrated to a selected value. In an embodiment,step 1002 is performed using one or more of calibration controller 912,VSE 902, and MISO operator 904 of FIG. 9. For example, the phase of theantenna element may be set to a value corresponding to 0 degreesrelative to a reference.

Step 1004 includes setting the power output of the antenna element beingcalibrated to a selected value. In an embodiment, step 1004 is performedusing one or more of calibration controller 912, VSE 902, and MISOoperator 904 of FIG. 9. The selected power output value is selected, inan embodiment, based on the distance of the antenna element beingcalibrated to the calibration receiver antenna.

Step 1006 includes transmitting an RF carrier signal from the antennaelement. The RF carrier signal is transmitted at the selected phasevalue and the selected power output value. The RF carrier signal can beany RF signal. In an embodiment, step 1006 is performed using one ormore of VSE 902, MISO operator 904, and TX antenna element 906 of FIG.9.

Step 1008 includes receiving the transmitted RF carrier signal using thecalibration receiver circuitry. Step 1008 is performed by calibrationreceiver circuitry 910 of FIG. 9, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. In an embodiment, step 1008 includes down-convertingthe transmitted RF carrier signal using the same LO signal used togenerate the transmitted RF carrier signal. As a result, as describedabove, a DC signal is generated in step 1008.

Step 1010 includes comparing an output of the calibration receivercircuitry to a desired value or range of values. In an embodiment, step1010 is performed by calibration controller 912 of FIG. 9. n anembodiment, step 1010 includes comparing the DC signal generated in step1008 with a desired pre-determined DC signal value. As described above,the desired DC signal value may be the same value for all antennas, orcan be computed for each antenna a priori using testing andexperimentation. In an embodiment, the output of the calibrationreceiver circuitry may be an analog or a digital signal.

Step 1012 includes determining whether or not the output of thecalibration receiver circuitry is equal to the desired value or within adefined tolerance error from the desired value. If the result of step1012 is “Yes,” then calibration process 1000 proceeds to step 1014,which ends the calibration process for the antenna element beingcalibrated. Process 1000 can be repeated for another antenna element, ifany. Otherwise, process 1000 proceeds to step 1016, which includesadjusting the phase and/or amplitude of the antenna element. In anembodiment, step 1016 includes adjusting the phase and/or amplitude ofthe antenna element based on a comparison of the output of thecalibration receiver circuitry and the desired value or range of values.The phase and/or amplitude of the antenna element is adjusted so as tobring the output of the calibration receiver circuitry closer to thedesired value and within the defined tolerance error from the desiredvalue.

As described above, when all TX antenna elements are substantiallyequidistant to the calibration receiver antenna or antenna couplingcircuitry, the TX antenna elements are all calibrated to a substantiallysimilar desired value. However, in the case that the TX antennas areplaced in a non-symmetrical layout relative to the calibration receiverantenna, then the TX antenna elements may have to be calibrated todifferent desired values.

The phase and amplitude calibration techniques described herein can beperformed prior to the example implementation operation and/or duringthe example implementation operation. In an embodiment, the phase andamplitude calibration can occur during a set-up process or procedure, atregular time intervals, or in the event of a measured or observed error(e.g., at a time which does not interfere with normal operation of thetransceiver).

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate example configurations of a multi-elementelectronically steerable antenna (MESA) according to embodiments of thepresent invention. In particular, FIGS. 11A and B illustrate examplelayouts of TX antenna elements relative to the calibration receiverantenna or antenna coupler in MESA embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11A illustrates an example four-element MESA configuration 1100A,according to an embodiment of the present invention. Exampleconfiguration 1100A has a symmetrical layout, in which TX antennaelements 906 ₁, 906 ₂, 906 ₃, and 906 ₄ are placed symmetricallyrelative to calibration receiver antenna/coupler 908. Thus, TX antennaelements 906 ₁-906 ₄ are pairwise equidistant to calibration receiverantenna/coupler 908, and can be calibrated to the same desired value.

FIG. 11B illustrates another example four-element MESA configuration1100B, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Exampleconfiguration 1100B has a layout whereby the calibration receiverantenna or antenna coupler 908 is not substantially equidistant relativeto each antenna element. In particular, TX antenna elements 906 ₁-906 ₄are not pairwise equidistant to calibration receiver antenna/coupler908. Instead, TX antenna elements 906 ₁ and 906 ₄ are equidistant tocalibration receiver antenna/coupler 908 (but not equidistant with TXantenna elements 906 ₂ and 906 ₃). Similarly, TX antenna elements 906 ₂and 906 ₃ are equidistant to calibration receiver antenna/coupler 908(but not equidistant with TX antenna elements 906 ₁ and 906 ₄). As such,TX antenna elements 906 ₁ and 906 ₄ can be calibrated to a first desiredvalue, and TX antenna elements 906 ₂ and 906 ₃ can be calibrated to asecond desired value or, alternatively, all antenna elements can becalibrated to different, predetermined values.

FIG. 11C illustrates another example MESA configuration 1100C, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. Example configuration 1100Cmay include any number of TX antenna elements 906, placed aroundcalibration receiver antenna/coupler 908. Accordingly, depending on itslocation and distance from calibration receiver antenna/coupler 908, aTX antenna element 906 may be equidistant and/or symmetric to one ormore other TX antenna elements of the configuration.

FIG. 11D illustrates another example MESA configuration 1100D accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. Example configuration 1100Dmay include any number of TX antenna elements 906, placed around or nearone or more calibration receiver antenna/couplers 908. In an embodiment,calibration of MESA configuration 1100D is performed by dividing the setof antenna elements 906 into sub-sets, calibrating the antennas in eachsub-set using the additional calibration receiver antenna/couplers 908co-located near the sub-set, and then calibrating the sub-sets relativeto each other using calibration receiver and calibration controlcircuitry configured to accept one or more calibration receiverantenna/coupler inputs.

In an embodiment, calibrating the sub-sets relative to each other can bedone by selecting a single representative TX antenna element from eachsub-set, calibrating the selected TX antenna elements using calibrationreceiver antenna/coupler 908, and then applying the calibration resultof each representative TX antenna element to all other antenna elementsof its respective sub-set. In an embodiment, this calibration techniquemay require predictably-characterized offset parameters.

Based on the description herein, a person skilled in the relevant artwill recognize that similar phase and amplitude calibration techniques(as described above) can be used to calibrate one or more elements in areceive signal path.

7. Example Systems

Embodiments of the present invention, as described above, are suitablefor use in various communication applications including, but not limitedto, military communication applications, wireless local area networks(WLAN) applications, cellular phone applications (e.g., in basestations, handsets, etc.), picocell applications, femtocellapplications, and automobile applications. In particular, MESA basedMIMO antenna embodiments are suitable for use in a Long Term Evolution(LTE) based communication system (which is part of the 4G EnhancedPacket System (EPS) standard), and can be used to optimize the system'sdata throughput, user capacity, and performance (e.g., signal to noiseratios) in any static or dynamic environment.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example mobile device communication system 1200in which embodiments of the present invention can be implemented. System1200 can be, for example, a cellular phone system (e.g., 3G, 4G, or anyother type of wireless communication system) and satellite phone system.Cellular phones 1204, 1208, 1212, and 1216 each include a transceiver1206, 1210, 1214, and 1218, respectively. Transceivers 1206, 1210, 1214,and 1218 enable their respective cellular phones to communicate via awireless communication medium (e.g., 3G, 4G, or any other type ofwireless communication system) with base stations 1220 and 1224. Basestations 1220 and 1224 are in communication with one another via atelephone network 1222 and include transceivers 1221 and 1225,respectively. According to an embodiment of the present invention,transceivers 1206, 1210, 1214, 1218, 1221, and 1225 are implementedusing one or more energy converter based transmitters (e.g., asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 6), one or more MIMO antennas(e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 7), one or moretransceivers with an energy converter based multi-element transmitantenna array and an energy sampling based multi-element receive antennaarray (e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 8), or acombination thereof.

Based on the description herein, a person skilled in the relevant artwill recognize that other types of base stations can include thetransceivers discussed above. The other types of base stations include,but are not limited to, macro base stations (operating in networks thatare relatively large), micro base stations (operating in networks thatare relatively small), satellite base stations (operating withsatellites), cellular base stations (operating in a cellular telephonenetworks), and data communication base stations (operating as gatewaysto computer networks).

FIG. 12 also illustrates a satellite telephone 1290 that communicatesvia satellites, such as satellite 1226. Satellite telephone 1290includes a transceiver 1292, which can be implemented using one or moreenergy converter based transmitters (e.g., as described above withrespect to FIG. 6), one or more MIMO antennas (e.g., as described abovewith respect to FIG. 7), one or more transceivers with an energyconverter based multi-element transmit antenna array and an energysampling based multi-element receive antenna array (e.g., as describedabove with respect to FIG. 8), or a combination thereof.

FIG. 12 also illustrates a cordless phone 1290 having a handset 1293 anda base station 1296. Handset 1293 and base station 1296 includetransceivers 1294 and 1298, respectively, for communicating with eachother preferably over a wireless link. Transceivers 1294 and 1298 arepreferably implemented using one or more energy converter basedtransmitters (e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 6), one ormore MIMO antennas (e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 7),one or more transceivers with an energy converter based multi-elementtransmit antenna array and an energy sampling based multi-elementreceive antenna array (e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 8),or a combination thereof.

Advantages of implementing embodiments of the present invention into,for example, the above-noted systems include but are not limited tosignal range and quality improvement, increased communication bandwidth,increased capacity, rapid antenna directionality without the use ofmechanical movement, and reduction in power consumption. Additionaladvantages include smaller form factors, enhanced reliability, enhancedrepeatability, electronically-controlled antenna gain, beam width, beamshape, beam steering, electronic calibration, and electronic signalacquisition and tracking.

8. CONCLUSION

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and notthe Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpretthe claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or morebut not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention ascontemplated by the inventors, and thus, are not intended to limit thepresent invention and the appended claims in any way.

Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with theaid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation ofspecified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of thesefunctional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for theconvenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined solong as the specified functions and relationships thereof areappropriately performed.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fullyreveal the general nature of the invention such that others can, byapplying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art, readily modifyand/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, withoutundue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of thepresent invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications areintended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of thedisclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presentedherein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, suchthat the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is tobe interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings andguidance.

The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited byany of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be definedonly in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a synthesis engineconfigured to generate amplitude control signals, phase control signalsand power supply control signals based on command and controlinformation; a power supply configured to receive the power supplycontrol signals and to generate a power supply signal; and a multipleinput single output (MISO) operator configured to generate an outputsignal with an amplitude or a phase controlled by at least one of theamplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the powersupply signal.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: aninterpolation/anti-alias filter configured to filter the amplitudecontrol signals and the phase control signals prior to reception by theMISO operator.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the synthesis engineis configured to generate at least one of the amplitude control signals,the phase control signals and the power supply control signals based onat least one of in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase information, elementphase and element power control information.
 4. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the command and control information comprises at least one oftransmit information, antenna element phase control information andoutput power control information.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe power supply comprises a digitally-controlled power supply.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply is configured to controlthe amplitude or the phase of the output signal by controlling an amountof power provided to the MISO operator.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the amplitude and the phase of the output signal is based on thepower supply signal.
 8. A method comprising: generating amplitudecontrol signals, phase control signals and power supply control signalsbased on command and control information; receiving the power supplycontrol signals to generate a power supply signal; and generating, witha multiple input single output (MISO) operator, an output signal with anamplitude or a phase controlled by at least one of the amplitude controlsignals, the phase control signals and the power supply signal.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: filtering the amplitude controlsignals and the phase control signals prior to reception by the MISOoperator.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating theamplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the powersupply control signals comprises generating at least one of theamplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the powersupply control signals based on at least one of in-phase (I) andquadrature-phase information, element phase and element power controlinformation.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving comprisescontrolling the amplitude or the phase of the output signal bycontrolling an amount of power provided to the MISO operator.
 12. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the generating the output signal comprisesgenerating the amplitude and the phase of the output signal based on thepower supply signal.
 13. A system comprising: an energy convertercomprising: a synthesis engine configured to generate amplitude controlsignals, phase control signals and power supply control signals based oncommand and control information; a power supply configured to receivethe power supply control signals and to generate a power supply signal;and a multiple input single output (MISO) operator configured togenerate an output signal with an amplitude or a phase controlled by atleast one of the amplitude control signals, the phase control signalsand the power supply signal; a local oscillator configured to provide areference signal to the energy converter; and an antenna configured totransmit the output signal.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein theenergy converter further comprises: an interpolation/anti-alias filterconfigured to filter the amplitude control signals and the phase controlsignals prior to reception by the MISO operator.
 15. The system of claim13, wherein the synthesis engine is configured to generate at least oneof the amplitude control signals, the phase control signals and thepower supply control signals based on at least one of in-phase (I) andquadrature-phase information, element phase and element power controlinformation.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the command and controlinformation comprises at least one of transmit information, antennaelement phase control information and output power control information.17. The system of claim 13, wherein the power supply comprises adigitally-controlled power supply.
 18. The system of claim 13, whereinthe power supply is configured to control the amplitude or the phase ofthe output signal by controlling an amount of power provided to the MISOoperator.
 19. The system of claim 13, wherein the amplitude and thephase of the output signal is based on the power supply signal.
 20. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein the local oscillator configured to providethe reference signal to the MISO operator.